Man runs amok in Danielson, police say

Monday

May 14, 2012 at 12:01 AMMay 14, 2012 at 2:03 PM

A Danielson man faces a lengthy list of charges after he allegedly assaulted and attempted to strangle his girlfriend, detained her at knifepoint, held another person at gunpoint and then threatened to take his own life when he was confronted by state troopers Saturday night.

DON BOND

A Danielson man faces a lengthy list of charges after he allegedly assaulted and attempted to strangle his girlfriend, detained her at knifepoint, held another person at gunpoint and then threatened to take his own life when he was confronted by state troopers Saturday night.

Police said they received a 911 call at 7:24 p.m. Saturday from the resident of an apartment on Upper Maple Street reporting a domestic disturbance at Carrier’s second-floor apartment. The female victim, who had been in the apartment with Carrier but was not identified by police, had fled to a first-floor apartment to get away from Carrier, police said.

The woman told troopers Carrier had assaulted and choked her, threatened her and held her against her will, some of the time at knifepoint. The woman said a restraining order had been issued against Carrier, who had left the scene by the time troopers reached the Upper Maple Street address.

Within minutes, police were alerted by a resident in the area of Prospect Avenue and Williams Street that a man was holding people at gunpoint outside a nearby residence.

According to police, troopers Ethan Tanksley, Howard Smith and Brett Langevin sneaked on foot to the neighborhood and spotted Carrier holding a handgun, but not pointing it at anyone at that time. When Carrier realized the troopers were there, he put the barrel of the gun into his mouth and threatened to take his own life.

Threatened suicide

The troopers drew their own guns and ordered Carrier to surrender. Carrier refused to put down his gun and approached the troopers to within an arm’s length while still holding the gun in his mouth and threatening to kill himself, police said.

Tanksley was able to grab the arm with which Carrier was holding the gun, while Langevin jammed his own thumb behind the trigger of Carrier’s gun, preventing the gun from firing. Carrier tried several times to squeeze the trigger of the gun without success, police said.

As the two troopers struggled to subdue Carrier, Smith ushered bystanders to safety.

Police eventually were able to get the gun and subdue Carrier without further incident.

Police said Carrier had stolen the loaded gun from his father’s residence and had held a random victim at gunpoint, placing the barrel of the gun into the person’s stomach while demanding alcohol.

There were children playing nearby in the street when the gun incident occurred, police said.

Police charged Carrier with second-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree assault, violation of a protective order, third-degree strangulation, second-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace, theft of a firearm, criminal attempt to commit first-degree robbery, first-degree reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal use of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, interfering with a police officer and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.